Now You See Me

by Debbie Viguié

“No, because I can’t condemn him for what happened as so many others do. Sometimes bad things just happen. Here especially.”

  “Why here especially?” Opal asked.

  “There are things that happen here that don’t happen other places. It can make life more complicated. Challenging.”

  Tanya started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. “The police left a card with the nurse and said that we should go down to the station if we’re going to press charges.”

  “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Then we should let them know that, too.”

  “I’m not sure I can see him again after everything that happened,” Opal admitted, feeling afraid and embarrassed at the same time.

  “You might not have to. By the time we get there he’ll probably be locked in a cell waiting for his father to come post bail. Even if that’s not the case, you’re going to have to see him again at some point and you might as well get it over with.”

  “His dad must be really upset,” Opal murmured.

  “I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about that with you,” Tanya said fervently.

  A short while later they pulled into a parking spot at the police station. As much as Opal did not want to go inside, she forced herself out of the car. They walked inside and up to the front desk.

  “We’re here to see Officer Torrance,” Tanya said.

  “Okay,” the man at the desk said. “Take a seat and he’ll be out shortly.”

  They took seats in the waiting area and Opal folded her arms across her chest. She’d never been inside a police station before and she felt a bit intimidated. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel to someone who was in trouble. What made it all the worse was she felt like she was being watched. She fidgeted in her seat, unable to get comfortable.

  A police officer with short brown hair approached them a couple minutes later. She recognized him as the one who had tackled Mal to the ground and her chest tightened at the memory.

  “I’m Officer Torrance,” he said.

  She and Tanya stood up. “I’m Tanya Sanders and this is my niece, Opal Grant.”

  Ms. Sanders, Miss Grant,” he said as he shook their hands. “Thank you for coming down so quickly. Miss Grant, if we can get your statement that would help us greatly so we can get this taken care of as soon as possible.”

  “Mal didn’t do anything wrong,” Opal said, her mouth suddenly feeling dry.

  He frowned. “That’s not my understanding. If you’re concerned for your safety, I can assure you-”

  “He didn’t attack me,” Opal interrupted, just wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. “I never said he did. People just assumed and they assumed wrong.”

  “Miss Grant. Let me explain to you the legal definitions of assault and battery.”

  “We’re not pressing charges,” Tanya spoke up.

  “Why?” he asked, clearly having trouble believing that.

  “We don’t see a need to do so. Since we’re not pressing charges, I’d appreciate it if you would release the young man at once. And please believe me, we will not be changing our minds about this.”

  Officer Torrance looked incredibly frustrated but he nodded his head. “You have my card. If you should change your mind, please do not hesitate to call me.”

  “Thank you.”

  They turned to go and Opal glanced through the glass window separating the waiting room from the rest of the station. There, sitting just a couple of feet away next to a desk was Mal. He was handcuffed and he was looking right at her.

  She tried to turn away, but it was as though he was pinning her with his stare. The officer left and she saw him walk around and up to Mal.

  “Let’s go, honey,” Tanya said.

  The officer said something to Mal and then began to take off the handcuffs. Relieved that he was being set free and still certain she couldn’t deal with having to talk to him, she turned and hurried outside.

  “Thank you,” she told her aunt once they were both in the car.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Why wouldn’t he believe me that Mal hadn’t assaulted me?” she asked.

  “Sometimes people believe what they want to, regardless of what the truth is.”

  They drove for several minutes in silence as Opal tried unsuccessfully to put it all from her mind. “I wonder if they took his picture?” she finally said out loud.

  Tanya frowned. “A mug shot? I don’t know, they might have.”

  “He hates having his picture taken. The first day we met I took one and he somehow knew even though he couldn’t see my phone. He made me delete it. Isn’t that weird?”

  She glanced over and noticed that Tanya had grown pale. Her fingers where they were gripping the steering wheel were white. “There are lots of people who don’t like to have their picture taken,” she said, clearing her throat slightly.

  “Yeah, but it was like he knew when there was no way he could have,” Opal said.

  “He must have seen you out of the corner of his eye,” Tanya said, her voice sounding strained.

  “I guess. I’m not thinking too clearly right at the moment.”

  “Stress can do that. Have you been taking your vitamins?”

  “Yes,” Opal said, leaning her head against the car window.

  They turned down their street and a minute later they were inside the house.

  “What would you like to eat?” Tanya asked.

  Even though she hadn’t eaten lunch she wasn’t hungry. “Maybe I’ll eat something later. Right now I just want to go to bed,” she admitted.

  “Alright, but let me know if I can get you anything,” Tanya said.

  Opal nodded and started up the stairs.

  “Opal?” her aunt called.

  “Yes?” she asked, pausing and half turning.

  Her aunt was standing at the bottom of the stairs with the strangest look on her face.

  “You really are a lot better off without him. I’m sorry for what happened to you today, but I’m glad that we won’t have to worry about him,” she said, her face inscrutable.

  “Okay, thanks,” Opal said, not sure what else she could say.

  She started climbing again and quickly made it to the landing and then into her room. She couldn’t help but wonder why Tanya had said that now instead of earlier. Maybe having to go to the police station had been a wake-up call for her aunt. Who could blame her? If Opal ever had to step foot inside a police station again it would be too soon.

  She kicked off her shoes and laid down on her bed without bothering to change clothes. Within seconds she was asleep.

  Opal woke and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was half past nine and she was feeling a little hungry. She got up and headed downstairs. When she was almost to the bottom she froze.

  She could hear crying. It wasn’t loud, but it was unmistakable. The sound twisted around inside her and she wondered if Aunt Tanya was okay. Her first instinct was to call out to her, but something urged her not to. She walked silently down the last couple of steps and moved toward the kitchen. She glanced in and saw Tanya sitting at the kitchen table.

  Her shoulders were hunched and shaking. She was holding something in her left hand. A moment later she picked up a lighter, the long handled kind you could use to light candles with. The flame popped out of it and then Tanya set fire to the paper.

  It began to burn quickly and Tanya let out a louder sob. Then she dropped the burning paper into a metal trashcan she had pulled up next to the chair. As soon as it fell inside she put down the lighter and buried her head in both hands.

  “Aunt Tanya, are you okay?” Opal asked, edging into the room.

  The woman jerked hard and spun in her chair. Her eyes were red and puffy and tears were streaming down both cheeks. She quickly dashed them away.

  “I didn’t hear you come downstairs,” she said.

  “I woke up and was a little hungry,” Opal admitted, moving closer.

&n
bsp; Tanya popped up from her chair. “Then let’s get you something to eat,” she said. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. “I’m afraid all I have is leftover pizza. I wasn’t very hungry early either.”

  “That would be fine,” Opal said, moving to sit down at one of the other chairs at the table.

  She glanced down into the trashcan where the flames had all but died out. She sucked in her breath as she recognized the one corner of the paper that had yet to burn.

  Her aunt was burning the picture Opal had found in the dresser of Opal’s mother and Tanya when they were kids.

  9

  Opal was shocked. Why would her aunt burn the picture? Grief took hold a moment later. She should never have shown it to her. She should have kept it. She had so little of her mother already and the senseless destruction of the picture was unbearable.

  Tanya turned around, pizza box in hand.

  “Why did you burn it?” Opal whispered.

  Tanya looked thunderstruck. Clearly she had not anticipated getting caught.

  “I had to,” she said at last.

  “What?”

  Tanya nodded. “I had a good reason for it.”

  “You know I only have one picture of my mom?” Opal asked, her grief turning to anger.

  “And I don’t have even one. I don’t like it, but that’s the way it has to be.”

  “That makes no sense!”

  “I don’t expect you to understand, but trust me when I tell you that it’s for the best.”

  “How is it for the best?”

  “I can’t tell you. Maybe one of these days, but not now.”

  “Is everyone in this town crazy? What is wrong with pictures?”

  “It’s complicated. But, Opal, if you love your mother, you have to trust me. I’m not trying to desecrate her memory.”

  In some part of her mind Opal wondered if this conversation would make more sense if she didn’t have a headache and hadn’t fainted earlier in the day.

  “Look, we can talk about it later, just not now.”

  Opal turned and headed upstairs.

  “Don’t you want pizza?” Tanya called after her.

  “No, I lost my appetite again,” she snapped.

  Up in her room she walked past the bed and sank down on the window seat instead. She tucked her knees up to her chin and stared outside at the darkness.

  Her aunt had been crying while she burned the picture. Why burn it at all? The whole thing was insane. The whole town and everyone in it were insane for that matter.

  She glanced down the street. There was a light on in Mal’s house. It was the upstairs light of the room facing the street. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was his room and what crazy conversations he was having with his dad while her Aunt Tanya played pyro in the kitchen.

  Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light from the window she was staring at. She sat up straighter, wondering what it could be even as it faded back to the normal looking room light once more.

  She got up and quickly got ready for bed, hoping that in the morning things would be a lot less weird.

  In the morning her aunt tried to talk her into staying home, but the last thing Opal wanted was to be home alone climbing the walls and thinking about everything she’d lost in the past few weeks. Plus, the longer she stayed away from school the harder it would be to go back. When Aunt Tanya offered to drive her so she didn’t have to walk she took her up on that offer.

  She half expected Tanya to bring up the picture, but she didn’t. Opal had noticed the metal trashcan was nowhere to be seen in the kitchen, too.

  When they left the house Opal couldn’t help but look up the street towards Mal’s house. She didn’t know if she was hoping to catch sight of him or if she was dreading the possibility. The street was empty as it turned out. She thought about asking her aunt about the flash of light from Mal’s house, but she wasn’t sure how she’d even go about describing it.

  And if Tanya had seen it, surely she would have brought it up.

  “Do you think Mal’s okay?” she asked.

  She instantly regretted it. After the day before Mal was probably the last name Aunt Tanya wanted to hear.

  “I don’t know, I hope so,” Tanya surprised her by saying. “He’s had it rough. I can’t help but feel sorry for him.”

  A couple minutes later they pulled up in front of the school.

  “Now, do you need me to pick you up after school?” Tanya asked as she dropped her off.

  “No, I’ll ask Annie if she can drive me home if I don’t feel like walking,” she said.

  “Okay. Call if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  Opal slowly walked up to the building. She didn’t want to go inside, but she knew she had to face everyone sooner or later.

  “Opal!”

  She turned and saw Annie hurrying up to her. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  Opal nodded.

  Annie hugged her and Opal gratefully returned it.

  “You’ve had a very sucky first couple of days here. I’m sorry for that,” Annie said.

  “Thanks.”

  “At least there’s nowhere to go but up.”

  Opal wished she could be as confident about that as Annie was.

  Homeroom had the potential to be awkward, but Ginger talked with her and glared at anyone who looked like they were about to question Opal about the day before.

  The next two classes she managed to get through even though she got a lot of curious stares. When the bell rang for lunch she dumped her stuff in her locker then hurried to the cafeteria.

  Ginger and Annie had been waiting for her just inside the door and the three of them got their food and sat down with Opal on the end of one bench. A minute later Hannah and a couple of others joined them. Hannah leaned forward, clearly ready to ask her all about the day before. Opal braced herself, not wanting to talk about it, but knowing that she really didn’t have a choice.

  Suddenly all conversation ceased in the cafeteria.

  “I can’t believe he has the nerve to show his face around here,” Annie whispered.

  Opal turned and saw Mal walking toward an empty table. His head was up, a small smile fixed defiantly in place. There was a butterfly bandage on the cut over his eye.

  “It’s okay, he can’t hurt you again,” Hannah murmured, putting a hand on Opal’s arm.

  And suddenly things became so clear. “He never has hurt me,” she said.

  He sat down at the table by himself and she could see him heave a sigh. She felt so bad for him. By trying to help her he had made himself even more of an outcast and the whole school had witnessed him getting arrested. Everything bad that happened to him happened for all the world to see and hold against him.

  Except how I reacted to him. I hurt him and because no one saw it they think it’s his fault. Tears stung her eyes. She remembered how much grief she’d been in after seeing her mother’s picture in the trophy case. She also remembered how he’d shared her grief and then taken it away for a few short hours and that had meant everything to her. She wished she could share with him now what her aunt had done by destroying the picture of her mom. She blinked. She hadn’t even thought about bringing that up with the girls sitting around her, but it was something she desperately wanted to talk about with him.

  She stood up.

  “Opal, what are you doing?” Ginger asked.

  Hannah and Annie both tried to pull her back, but she shook off their hands. There was a sudden burst of noise around her when people saw her stand up. The noise dissipated again into silence as she walked toward Mal. As if sensing that something was different he turned around. When he saw her coming toward him he stood.

  He clenched his fists at his side and she saw real pain in his eyes and something else -- fear. He was afraid that she was going to hurt him more. Heart in her throat she stopped in front of him.

  “Opal, what do you want?” he asked.

  “I’ve hea
rd there’s a homecoming dance in a couple of weeks.”

  He stared at her, clearly confused.

  “I thought maybe you could take me,” she said, forcing herself to smile even though she was more nervous than she could ever remember being.

  “Why would you want me to take you to the dance?” he asked, searching her eyes.

  “Well,” she said, steeling herself for the moment of truth. “You are my boyfriend, aren’t you?”

  Surprise flashed across his face. He blinked several times rapidly. “Yes, yes I am,” he finally whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

  “Good,” she said, smiling. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then she picked up his lunch bag with one hand and grabbed his hand with her other. Her hand began to tingle and she smiled as she tugged him toward the table she had just left. He followed.

  “Where are we going?” he asked quietly.

  “To fix things.”

  She stopped at the table and took a deep breath. “I know I’m new here and as Annie pointed out this morning things have sucked more than they should have. Well, the last month has been that way, actually, and I’m tired of losing people I care about. So, I’m sorry if this shakes the world up, but I want to be able to eat lunch with my friends and my boyfriend. Does anyone have a problem with that?”

  “Um, Opal-” Mal began.

  “Shush. You don’t get a say,” she told him. She turned back to the girls and she just hoped her stand worked out like she wanted.

  Ginger had her eyes down on the table. Of everyone there she had the best reason to disagree with Opal’s plan.

  “Ginger, can my boyfriend eat lunch with us?” she asked, trying to keep her voice gentle.

  “Yes,” the other girl whispered.

  “Annie?” she asked.

  Annie gave her a wan smile. “Sure.” To her credit she scooted over to make room for them both to sit down.

  “Technically we have a girls only lunch thing, but if our boyfriends can join us from time to time, I think it’s okay if your boyfriend does,” Hannah said.

  It wasn’t a resounding yes, but she’d take it.

  “Okay, it’s settled,” Opal said, sitting down next to Annie and pulling Mal down onto the bench next to her.